Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-02-10
CHIGAN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY TO- 1887.

walking with her husband ON the cliff but a
short time before.
The poor mangled creature was not
quite dead, but moaned piteously as she
was raised up by some fishermen, who hur-
ried upon the scene after Witnessing the
catastrophe.
Speak" cried Hilda, suddenly starting
out OF the spell of horror that had momen-
tarily enchained her, and glariDg Mt the
face OF the sufferer with starting eve balls.
"Are you Estelle?"
The woman made faint sign In the af
firmative, and then expired.
Hilda never knew how she made her way
back home; she only remembered dream
like toillng over rocks and ruts, combined
with sickening, horrifed sensation that
her own husband must have thrown that
woman over the crag; and then at last she
stood in his presence in the drawing room,
shocking him and the assembled servants
beyond expression by her awful pallor, her
starting eyes, and the terrible, CHASTITY hor-
ror of her entire aspect and bearing.
"Oh, Archy, to think of you as murder
or, as we'll as q deceiver!" she shreked.
.Ihers.taere at the foot @ the cliff she
ing mangled, dead Oh, how could you
"In the name of heaven, Hilda, what can
you meanp" he cried, springing forward to
support her tottering form, and with his
face depicting as genuine horror as her own.
"What do you know about Estelle? And
dead, say you? Impossible. left her but
a quarter OF an hour ago, walking along
the brow Of Indian Head"
liilda gave gasp of relief, and looked
at him eagerly, hopefully.
"If Won Dleasa. sir said nm old fiahar.
man, who had followed Mrs. Delorme up
from the beach, and then doubtingly en-
tered the house after her, hat in hand;
"me and my mates saw the whole thing
from where we were mending our nets at
Gridiron Point. The lady's under a fear
full mistake, though it was an awful acci-
dent for oil that, or suicide, We couldn't
tell which,"
"How?" cried Delorme. "Estelle, you say,
fell over the cliff, then?"
"Yes, sir; or at least the lady did as
you was a walkin' with on the top of In
dian Head q little while ago." replied the
fisherman. "Arter me and my mates saw
you leave her TO return to the house, we
kept observin' of her pretty spry because
of her actin SO strange an crazy-li like.
Then We was surprised at seein' Mrs. De-
lorme hurryin' down TO the water through
the gap in very excited way, which sort of
drew off our attention from the other bit.
Then, soon arter Mrs. Delorme reached
the bottom of the stone steps leading up,
one OF my mates gave q yell and pointed
to the brow of Indian Head. None
of MS could tell exactly how it
appened-whether she jumped off, or
tumbled over-but Jest at that minute we
saw the strange lady making grabs at the
bushes and the air, as though to save her.
self, and then down she rolled and plunged
the hull three hundred feet of cliff, bound
ing off at different points as she struck the
jags, and screaming terribly. She fell on
the rocks right at Mrs. Delormes feet, an
was dead minute arter we tux her up"
Archibald Delorme gave a groan, and
buried his face in his hands.
Hilda only bore up long enough to hear
the close of the fisherman's story-to be
assured that her husband, however erring,
ghs s%66thhisd a@at for second q ne that
and was carried to her room by
Norah and Mrs. Saunders.
An attack of brain-fever followed her
prostitution, consequent upon the terrible
shock OF that mornings catastrophe, and
she was confined TO her bed for several
weeks.
Her husband was the very soul Of ten
derness and devotion during that trying
period. He scarcely quilted her bedside,
was even jealous of the hired nurses, and
at last, one day when her convalescence
was assured, he took her hand in his, and
made clean breast OF the secrets of his
former miserable married life.
He told her how the unprincipled woman,
from whom he had been Justly divorced,
had followed him across the sea soon after
his second marriage, and so besieged Linn
with blackmailing demands, both by letter
and interview, coupled with threats of ex-
posing his past misery to Hilda and bis
new friends, as to render his life burden.
He told her how, upon his last interview
with her, she had boldly expressed her de-
to introduce herself into his
house, and shame him in Hilda's eyes, but
that she had in all probability altered her
intention, and sought relief in self -destruc-
ton soon after his quitting her to return
to the house.
Hilda heard all and forgave all. She
had an unbosoming to make on her own
and she did so with the utmost
freedom, confC ssing her unworthiness for
the suspicion and distrust to which she
had afforded too ready lodgment in her
to withdraw her confidence in his truth and
manliness.
So, at last the evil cloud that had arisen
between these welded lives was dissipated.
Since then their union has been sunny, anC
blessed with loving children, while the
erring and unfortunate Estelle slumbers in
her seaside grave. which both Hlda and
her husband oft sit, for the purpose of
decking il with flowers and dropping the
reluctant tear to her hapless memory.